Freed North East lorry driver John Vasey is picking up the threads of his life after his release from a French prison.

It is almost six weeks since he returned home after his 14-month nightmare, which started when he was arrested on suspicion of drug smuggling.

He lost his home, business and his marriage broke down as family and friends campaigned tirelessly for his release.

Mr Vasey is staying with his parents, Ken, 73, and Mary, 68, at their home in Lambton, Washington, but he is hoping to move into his own flat soon. He has also seen his nine-year-old son, David, since he came back and recently took him to see the latest Harry Potter film.

The 43-year-old said: "It was brilliant just to spend a few days with him. I'm just trying to keep it normal in the hope that it will help him cope with it.

"The doctor is keeping me on the sick. I'm officially off with stress and anxiety and I'm receiving counselling for it.

"Everything is taking so long to get used to, being back home. The freedom is really weird.

"I've come back to earth and I've realised I've got to get on with the rest of my life. It's been really strange."

Mr Vasey spent 14 months in a prison cell at Perpignan in southern France accused of smuggling £2.5m of cannabis in sealed containers he had collected from Barcelona.

A French court freed him on payment of around £3,500.

The lorry driver, who has always insisted that he did not know what was in the containers. said: "From what I can gather, after 14 months of investigation there is no evidence against me."